“This
endorsement reminds voters that former Gov. Romney is not a moderate
alternative to the remaining GOP candidates,” Keenan said. “McDonnell is the
head of a state government that is becoming increasingly hostile to women’s
freedom and privacy, and now Romney is tied to this agenda, which is out of
touch with our nation’s values and priorities.”

After
Virginia’s 2011 legislative elections, anti-choice politicians introduced a
“personhood” bill as their top priority. Romney already had endorsed a
constitutional ban on abortion, but “personhood” measures, like the one
Mississippi voters rejected by a wide margin last November, ban not only
abortion but also many forms of contraception. A recent Quinnipiac poll showed
58 percent of Virginians oppose “personhood” proposals.

The
introduction of the “personhood” measure coincided with Gov. McDonnell’s
approval of a set of new regulations that single out first-trimester abortion
providers from among all other doctors for burdensome, medically unnecessary
requirements. These new targeted regulations of abortion providers (or TRAP)
make Virginia the most restrictive state in the country on women’s health
centers providing abortion care. This new law was one of 69 state-level
anti-choice measures enacted in 2011—more than double the number enacted in
2010.

Keenan
said Romney’s association with such an extreme agenda adds to the credibility
gap he faces with voters. During his campaign for governor of Massachusetts,
Romney pledged to uphold pro-choice laws. However, once he assumed office,
he took anti-choice actions, including vetoing a bill giving rape survivors
information about and timely access to emergency contraception. In addition,
Romney has called for defunding the nation’s federal family-planning program
that provides millions of Americans with access to contraception and cancer
screenings.